The heavy deadbolt slid into place with a sickening, metallic echo that reverberated through the silent nursery walls.

Outside in the dim corridor, a familiar, chillingly casual whisper cut through the muffled fabric of the heavy mahogany door.

"Found you, little bird."

My blood ran instantly cold. That voice—smooth as polished glass, laced with a sadistic, predatory amusement—belonged to Viktor. Viktor, my violent ex-boyfriend's primary enforcer, the man who had been hunting me across state lines for weeks over a blood-money debt my ex had accumulated before shoving me down a flight of concrete stairs.

How did he get into the Rossi estate?

Panic clawed at my throat, threatening to choke off the air. The Rossi mansion was a fortress guarded by heavily armed mercenaries, biometric scanners, and a private security detail feared by every syndicate on the Eastern Seaboard. No one breached the Rossi compound unless they were invited—or unless someone on the inside had unlocked the gates.

In my arms, little Leo stiffened. The abrupt movement of terror that surged through my body had broken his latch. The tiny infant let out a weak, distressed gasp, his small fists clenching as the life-saving warmth of my milk was cut short. The heart monitor beside the crib immediately resumed its erratic, desperate beep.

"Quiet, baby. It's okay, I've got you," I whispered frantically, pressing him back against my chest while keeping my body shielded behind a heavy velvet armchair.

Beside me, Lorenzo Rossi froze.

The brief flash of paternal vulnerability that had softened his ruthless features a moment ago vanished, replaced instantly by the lethal, calculating focus of a mafia kingpin. The air in the room dropped ten degrees. The man who had terrorized a city with a single word didn't panic; he transformed into a predator backed into a corner.

"Who is outside that door?" Lorenzo demanded, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that barely carried above the monitor's beep. His eyes darted to the heavy lock, then back to me, the gun in his hand pivoting smoothly toward the entrance.

"My... my ex's loan shark," I whispered, tears of sheer terror blurring my vision as I clutched Leo tighter. "He's hunting me. I didn't know he was here. I swear to you, Mr. Rossi, I didn't lead them here!"

Before Lorenzo could respond, a heavy thud shook the nursery door.